Your Honor, the witness is clearly lying! She does, in fact, play video games. She's just too embarrassed to admit it!
Not a whole lot of people know this about me, but I like video games. Ace Attorney is one of my favorite game series, even though I have little interest in ever being a lawyer. In the first three games of the series, you play as Phoenix Wright, a slightly hapless lawyer who is ridiculously skilled in the art of bluffing. For some crazy reason, his bluffs are always correct, no matter how far-fetched. There is always some key piece of evidence that manages to turn the case around, and enables you to defend your (usually) falsely accused client successfully. It's like reading a mystery-- except you get to draw your own conclusions and see how they measure up to the truth.
Not a whole lot of people know this about me, but I like video games. Ace Attorney is one of my favorite game series, even though I have little interest in ever being a lawyer. In the first three games of the series, you play as Phoenix Wright, a slightly hapless lawyer who is ridiculously skilled in the art of bluffing. For some crazy reason, his bluffs are always correct, no matter how far-fetched. There is always some key piece of evidence that manages to turn the case around, and enables you to defend your (usually) falsely accused client successfully. It's like reading a mystery-- except you get to draw your own conclusions and see how they measure up to the truth.
This game appealed to me initially since I love mystery novels, shows, and the like. Solving the mystery in this game usually involves finding out that one of the prosecution's key witnesses is the true culprit. But the characters are surprisingly well- developed -- more so than in most video games I've played. A character that is near and dear to my heart, Ema Skye, is an aspiring forensics scientist. The relationship between Ema and her sister Lana (who is Phoenix's client) is so complex that the case is worth solving simply to get to the bottom of what's going on.
Something that surprised me and (continues to surprise me) is how the games manage to maintain such a lighthearted atmosphere despite dealing with serious topics such as murder and betrayal. The games boast punny names galore: Luke Atmey, Ted Tonate, Ini Miney, Winston Payne, Lotta Hart, Detective Gumshoe -- the list goes on and on. Sarcasm is peppered throughout the court proceedings, and Phoenix Wright's self-proclaimed assistant, Maya Fey, never misses a chance to have a laugh at Phoenix, or anyone else, for that matter. An issue of contention between Maya and Phoenix (and a running joke in every game) is the issue of step-ladder vs. ladder:
Maya: Look, a ladder! Phoenix: That's a "step"-ladder. Maya: So? What's the difference? You need to stop judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions, Nick! Phoenix: R-right... sorry. (This girl is OUT there!)
Nevertheless, there are still plenty of serious moments, some of which are all the more frightening since they are indicative of real terrors. For example, the games deal with corruption in the police force and deadly blackmail among corporations. In one of the games, an assassin kidnaps one of Phoenix's dear friends, and refuses to let them go unless Phoenix can pull off a not guilty verdict in court. On this occasion, Phoenix is faced with an ethical dilemma. Although such a dilemma is much more dramatic than what the everyday lawyer might face, it is true that lawyers may find themselves defending guilty clients and making difficult ethical decisions.
I never thought that I would ever become so invested in the characters or the plot of the Ace Attorney games, but the truth is, the experience of playing through the games is almost akin to that of reading a well-crafted book. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who likes a mystery with dynamic characters, and a good bit of fun mixed in.
Something that surprised me and (continues to surprise me) is how the games manage to maintain such a lighthearted atmosphere despite dealing with serious topics such as murder and betrayal. The games boast punny names galore: Luke Atmey, Ted Tonate, Ini Miney, Winston Payne, Lotta Hart, Detective Gumshoe -- the list goes on and on. Sarcasm is peppered throughout the court proceedings, and Phoenix Wright's self-proclaimed assistant, Maya Fey, never misses a chance to have a laugh at Phoenix, or anyone else, for that matter. An issue of contention between Maya and Phoenix (and a running joke in every game) is the issue of step-ladder vs. ladder:
Nevertheless, there are still plenty of serious moments, some of which are all the more frightening since they are indicative of real terrors. For example, the games deal with corruption in the police force and deadly blackmail among corporations. In one of the games, an assassin kidnaps one of Phoenix's dear friends, and refuses to let them go unless Phoenix can pull off a not guilty verdict in court. On this occasion, Phoenix is faced with an ethical dilemma. Although such a dilemma is much more dramatic than what the everyday lawyer might face, it is true that lawyers may find themselves defending guilty clients and making difficult ethical decisions.
I never thought that I would ever become so invested in the characters or the plot of the Ace Attorney games, but the truth is, the experience of playing through the games is almost akin to that of reading a well-crafted book. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who likes a mystery with dynamic characters, and a good bit of fun mixed in.
I would not have pegged you for a gamer, but I''m really glad you wrote about this! I know a lot of smart, cultured people who are passionate about video games. And I think it's good to confound people's expectations of us, expand their horizons, and maybe get them to let go of some of their stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's true, I can't really picture you as a gamer:) You seem like a person who would never have time for games. But really, from your description of "Ace Attorney", I think your gaming is a different experience from what most people see as a stereotype video game addict-racing, fighting, competing, getting your mind off real life stress. You like this game for its humor and for challenging your thought and reasoning in solving court cases. I think it's a great way to stretch your mind and to have some fun.
ReplyDeleteI really, really want the opportunity to get a copy of the original GBA game to play the series for myself! I've played part of it on an iPod, but I feel as if there's a certain experience being able to play certain games on an original handheld. One of the very first cases I solved was definitely fun (easy, though--it was the first case), and it made me laugh seeing how nervous and/or hilarious the characters were in their given situations. I'm glad you had such a good experience playing! :)
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